


The beginning of a long story (April & Casey 2012)

by Four_Five_Still_Alive



Series: April & Casey (fourfivestillalive) [1]
Category: TMNT - Fandom
Genre: F/M, TMNT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-06-14 08:14:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 15,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15384516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Four_Five_Still_Alive/pseuds/Four_Five_Still_Alive
Summary: As April and Casey begin their young relationship they quickly realize that life isn't so simple when you're teenage vigilantes. With people out to kill them and threats to the city they don't have much time to be teenagers. First love can always end in happiness or tragedy.





	1. The Jealous Mind of April O'Niel

**Author's Note:**

> One of the reasons I love Casey so much is I am a huge fan of Ice Hockey. Various parts of my hockey nerdery will come through in Casey fics.
> 
> This takes place after the end of Season 4 and the death of shredder. 
> 
> There WILL be sexual content but I like to lead up to it. Be patient! ^_~

        April simmered with anger as she walked down the street. She clutched her school books tightly into her chest. They would have fit into her book bag but it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing her Tessen at the power lines in rage.

        Casey had been flirting with other girls at school again. The hockey team had made it to states and the other girls were taking an interest in him as a starting defender. At first he had simply smiled and ignored them, but with the added attention he seemed to be realizing he was popular.

        Casey wasn’t particularly attractive. His crooked nose that had clearly been broken at _least_ once, his thin lanky teenage body, and the gaping hole in his toothline that he was oddly proud of. But it was never his appearance that attracted anyone to him. It was his confident personality. Casey could charge into any scenario with little regard for himself and a smile on his face. It was no wonder the girls had taken notice.

        She sighed in an attempt to calm herself. She missed having a friend like Irma to air her grievances to. It would have been nice if she could vent about how dumb Casey was to her…too bad she had turned out to be Krang sub-prime…

 

        “Whats your hurry Red?”

 

        A voice broke her train of thought. Her blood boiled. She turned angrily to see Casey balancing on his modified bike, staring back at her with that self-confident smirk.She raised her shoulders, her chest tight with rage. She ground her teeth trying to think of something to say but instead she just took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then sighed again deeply. Finally she managed to find a bit of a reprieve from her anger. Unfortunately the next stage came with a twinge of sadness.

 

        “Leave me alone Casey.”

 

        “Whats the deal? I thought we were supposed to go home together. I thought you’d wait for me after I got swarmed by my adoring fans.” He raised his eyebrow.

 

        The rage came flooding back. He knew what he was doing! Sure, he was pretty dull when it came to school work, but as far as street smarts were concerned Casey Jones was a genius.

 

        “You’re _trying_ to make me jealous aren’t you?” She accused.

 

        “Who me? How could _I_ make _you_ jealous? For that to happen you’d have to…I don’t know…care about me?”

 

        Her face flushed redder than her hair. She turned and continued her angry walk, the cover of her textbooks creaking under her grip. She could hear the sound of Casey’s voice behind her but she tuned it out, clenched her eyes and stepped off the curb.

 

        There was a car horn and a rush of air as she was pushed backwards. She landed on her back in a pile of garbage Casey on top of her.

 

        “What is your _deal_ Red!?! I tried to warn you! I told you that truck was coming! What? You’re so mad at me for flirting with some girls that you run out into a busy road?!?”

 

         She looked up from her back into his frustrated face. Her cheeks flushed as she realized how close they were. Casey seemed confused for a moment but then realized why she was blushing and quickly pulled away from her.

 

        “Y-you need to pay more attention!” He stood up and offered her his hand to help her up.

 

        “Casey? You’re bleeding!”

 

        “Hmn? Sheesh, calm down Red. I must have cut myself when we fell into that garbage. You aren’t hurt are you?”

 

        “I’m fine. We should get that cleaned. If you cut it on a piece of garbage it could get infected.”

 

        “I’ll be sure to when I-“

 

        “My house is closer. Besides, you may need some help cleaning it. Do you even _have_ a first aid kit?”

 

        “I was just gonna use bandaids…”


	2. The Patient Heart of Casey Jones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As April and Casey finally show some of their feelings for each other they must both decide if this is the time and place to get serious.

        “Hold your sleeve up Casey, every time you let it go it just gets the cut dirty again!”

 

        “This is boring! Are you done yet?”

 

        “Aug! Casey! Fine, just take your long sleeve shirt off!”

 

        Casey scoffed and pulled his hoodie over his head.

 

        “There, happy?”

 

        He sat in front of her naked from the waist up. She hadn’t noticed before but he had gotten a bit more muscular since she had first met him. No doubt due to the fighting he had done alongside the turtles.

 

        “Hello? Red? Anyone home?”

 

        She looked away from his chest and back to the cut on his right arm.

 

        “Casey, this cut was deeper than I thought. You may need stitches…”

 

        “Aww man! My old man told me the next time he has to take me to the emergency room I’m grounded…”

 

        April looked at him confused.

 

        “I’ve been a regular of the NYC urgent care since I was 7 years old. I’m surprised they haven’t given me a punch card yet...”

 

        “Punch card?”

 

        “Tenth visit is free.”

 

        “You’ve been to urgent care ten times?”

 

        “Lets just say my dad would really get his money’s worth if he got every tenth visit free.”

 

        “Ok fine.” April smiled softly to herself, not surprised at Casey’s tendency to hurt himself. “I’ll do it.”

 

        “You? Have you ever done this before?”

 

        “I dissected a frog in science class once…”

 

        “Cutting things open is a little different than sewing them together April…”

 

        Casey lay on his stomach with his arm out and a pillow under his chin.

 

        “This is my least favorite part…”

 

        “The internet says I have to make sure there are no foreign materials in the wound.”

 

        “Thats a really long way to say _this is gonna hurt._ OUCH!!!”

 

        “The good news is you don’t appear to have anything in the cut. The bad news is now I have to pour peroxide in it.”

 

        “Ok, let me just- OWWWW!!! Red!”

 

        “What? I _said_ I had to pour peroxide in it!”

 

        A few moments later April was sewing Casey’s wound shut with as much grace as she could muster while he ground his teeth into his hoodie.

 

        “Wow, that cut was nearly two inches long. I guess it will just be another one of Casey jones battle scars to brag to the girls about.” She stopped washing her hands suddenly as she realized she had unwittingly made herself angry again.

 

        “I don’t get you Red. I’ve been flirting with you since the minute I met you and you never so much as blinked about it.” Casey sat up, hints of cold sweat on his temple after being operated on by a high schooler. “What do you expect me to do? I figured you just didn’t want me.”

 

        April gave him a sympathetic glance as he looked out the window at the New York City lights. She crossed the room and sat down on the bed next to him.

 

        “I know I have been cold to you. Part of me wrote it off as the way you act with all the girls…But I can tell the difference. So I guess at this point the one who’s the problem is me.”

 

        He gave her a sidelong glance.

 

        “Casey, with everything that has been happening with the turtles neither of us has had much time to just…be high schoolers.”

 

        “Yea, I suppose you’re right. Even when we do get a chance to hang out, just the two of us, it winds up bloody.” He brandished his arm with the uneven stitches.

 

        April smiled.

 

        “Truce?” She asked holding her arms open for a hug.

 

        “Truce.” He leaned in and put his arms gently around her.

 

        They parted for a moment sitting closely next to each other on April’s bed. She met his eyes, his expression was more honest than she had ever seen it before. He longed for her. He always had. She should have realized it the first time she had seen the real Casey, that night at the ice rink. And now, he seemed more exposed than ever. Half naked, injured, lit only by the streetlights coming in her bedroom window. She parted her lips slightly as she studied this new side of him.

 

        “Can…can I-?” Casey breathed.

 

        April didn’t know what to say. All she could do was lean in. Casey put his hand on the back of her neck and pressed his lips against hers. They kissed for a prolonged moment. Their hearts beating loudly in their ears as their emotions reached their peak. Once they parted April smiled and laughed lightly to herself.

 

        “What?” Casey asked almost nervously.

 

        “I forgot, you don’t have any front teeth.”

 

        He held his hand to his mouth hoping she couldn’t see him blush in the dark room. She leaned in towards him pulling his hand away from his mouth.

 

        “Its fine!” She smiled. “I just didn’t think of what it would feel like to kiss someone with no front teeth!”

 

        “How many guys have you kissed?!?”

 

        “A couple... Last time I checked _kissing_ didn’t make me a harlot!”

 

        “Well lets see if I can find something weird about _you!”_

 

        He lunged towards her pushing her backwards. She shrieked with laughter as he turned her face right and left.

 

        “A weird freckle? Hairy chin? Maybe a third nostril?”

 

        “Ah! Hahaha! No! No! You’re going to find my second set of ears that I hide under my hair!”

 

        “I knew it! Don’t worry Red, your ears are cute. Even if with extras I’d still love you.” He grinned.

 

        Aprils smile faded slowly to shock.

 

        “Uh…you-you-your ears! I’d still love your ears. Oh man…” He rolled off of her onto his back. “Can we just pretend none of this happened?”

 

        The two of them lay side by side on Aprils bed looking up at the ceiling. After a moment April smiled to herself and inched her fingers along the bed cover until they found Casey’s rough gloved hand.

 

        “I’m ok with every thing that has happened.” She whispered, still looking up.

 

        Casey sat up and leaned over, kissing her again. She kissed him back this time, tracing the edge of his lips lightly with her tongue. Casey put his hand behind her neck once more and pulled her deeper into the kiss. His hand traced from her neck down her shoulder. His fingers lightly brushed down the length of her arm until he reached her waist. Moving his hand to the small of her back pulling their bodies closer together.

 

        Their breaths grew heavier as they struggled for air between each passionate kiss. April ran her fingers down his bare spine feeling the curve of each vertebra, she could hear nothing but her blood pumping through her veins as her hand brushed the waist of his pants. She was nervous and her head was spinning as Casey kissed gently down her neck. She took a chance and hooked her thumb between his jeans and his boxer shorts. He returned her gesture by lifting her shirt just enough to feel the skin on the curve of her back. He curled his fingers gripping her like he never wanted to let her go. The sensation of the pressure made her let out a breath right next to his ear.

        Her passionate sounds made the hair on his neck stand on end with excitement. And it frightened him. He bit his lip and pulled himself away from her. She lay, shocked at his sudden removal from their embrace.

 

        “C-Casey?”

 

        “I should go…” His silhouette scratched his head nervously in the dark. She saw his shape reach for his hoodie against the back light of the window.

 

        “Now?” She asked confused.

 

        “Your dad may come home and…”

 

        “And what?”

 

        “And I don’t want you to do something you may regret.”

 

        “Regret? Casey, you said it yourself, you’ve been flirting with me since the day we met! Now I finally open up to you and your running away?”

 

        “No, never. Casey Jones doesn’t run!”

 

        “Then why are you leaving?” April felt like crying but would never allow herself to.

 

        With his shirt back on he leaned down and kissed her sweetly.

 

        “This is fun Red. But if things get out of control I’m afraid of what you may think I want. And don’t get me wrong, I _want_ you. But I… Arg! Why is it so hard for me to put it into words!”

 

        April sat forward and put her forehead against his bandana.

 

        “You want more.”

 

        “I could lose control of myself so easily with you.” His eyes smiled at her.

 

        “Casey I’m fairly certain you’ve never been _in_ control of yourself.”

 

        “Not around _you._ Do you think you can forgive me for leaving?”

 

        “Goodnight Casey. Take care of your stitches ok?” She kissed him on the cheek. “And if you tell _anyone_ about what happened here tonight I’ll knock the rest of your teeth out.”

 

         “You got it Red.” He winked at her and walked out the door.

 

        She watched from her bedroom window as he rode away on his bike. She smiled to herself. She knew why he was waiting. He had let it slip today. She wondered how long she should make him wait until she finally told him that for a while now, she had loved him too.

 

 


	3. She, He, We.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April can't help but be excited about her budding relationship with Casey, but she'll never tell HIM that.

        April had never been so exited to see Casey before. She had seen him at school every day since they met. But today was different. She hadn’t seen him all weekend, not since Friday, when they kissed. She heard his voice talking loudly around the corner. She shut her locker and put her back to it waiting for him him to come into sight. She cursed herself for smiling but she couldn’t help it. She was excited. She was less excited when he rounded the corner surrounded by half a dozen girls.

 

        She felt a twinge in her chest. At least this time he wasn’t flirting. The girls were tagging along behind him like duckings after their mother. Upon further glance she noticed their distance from him was mostly due to his gait. With his long legs it was easy for him to stride one foot in front of them. April wondered if he was doing it on purpose for her sake. At least she had managed to hide her smile.

 

        “That last goal was a Hail Mary! I had no idea it would go in off the goalies back like that!”

 

        The girls all giggled and marveled.

 

        “Well, thats it girls, I have a date with my tutor.”

 

        “I’ll ‘ _tutor_ ’ you Casey!” Came a voice from his crowd of fans.

 

        With his hands in his back pockets he lumbered over to April.

 

        “Trying to make me jealous again Jones? I thought we were past that.”

 

        “Does that make us a ‘we’ now?” He raised an eyebrow.

 

        “Maybe not.” April swung her book bag over her shoulder and walked away from him.

 

        He jogged to keep up with her as she walked into a lab room.

 

        “Oh come on Red, don’t leave me hanging! I thought we had something going! Wait, theres no labs today…”

 

        April pushed him against the wall and stood on her toes to lock his lips with hers.

 

        “Mmmmnn! Mmmm….” Casey was shocked at first but all of his muscles quickly relaxed as he draped his arms around her back and held her against him.

 

        April pulled her face away as Casey exhaled and stood with his eyes shut and his lips still parted slightly. She tried to step backwards but he wouldn’t let her go.

 

        “Jones…” She said annoyed. “Let me go, I have to get to class.”

 

        “One more.” He whispered, his eyes still closed.

 

        She smiled, glad he couldn’t see her blushing as she leaned forward and kissed him. The second kiss was sweeter than the first. While originally she had wanted to relieve the lustful tension she had felt all weekend after he left, she couldn’t help but love the way he seemed to want to bathe in her presence. Casey opened his eyes gently smiling softly as he released his grip on her.

 

        “ _Now_ can I go to class?” She did her best to sound annoyed but she couldn’t hide her smile.

 

        “You’re going to meet me later right?” He let his hand trail after her keeping contact as long as he could.

 

        “I told the guys I was going to come over after school. I wanted to see how they’re doing without splinter.” Her eyes fell.

 

        “I’ll come with, Raph and I haven’t scrapped in a while.” He punched his open palm.

 

        “No! Casey, you know how Donnie is…”

 

        “Relax Red, its not like I’m going to be all over you. Don’t forget, you’re the one who kissed _me_ just now.”

 

        “But _you_ kissed _me_ the other night.”

 

        “I didn’t hear you sayin’ no.”

 

        She walked away without looking back. Casey smiled after her. He couldn’t recall the last time his life had been so perfect.

 


	4. Enough for a Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey and April visit the turtles for some light vigilante work.

Casey dropped into the sewer. It never occurred to him how strange it was that what they were doing had become so routine. April however never forgot. She grimaced as she dropped into the sewer water, Casey spotting her as she came down the ladder. At least the water wasn’t that deep today. 

“So what do we say if they ask what we’re up to?” Casey pushed up his hockey mask with one hand as he put the other around her shoulder. 

“Casey, remember what I said about Donnie?” She pushed his hand away.

“I know” He sighed. “I really wish I could rub it in his face though!”

“And what exactly is it?” 

“Our relationship baby!”

With one quick motion April removed her tessen and threw it against the sewer wall. It bounced off and hit Casey directly on top of the head knocking his metal mask down over his face. Casey caught his foot on a piece of garbage and fell forward into the sewer water.

“Don’t call me baby ever again.” April said sweetly.

“I know you’re trying to threaten me but I have never been more into you than I am right now.”

“You have issues Jones.”

“I hear that.” Said Raphael rounding the curve in the tunnel.

“Raph! H-how long have you been listening?” April asked nervously.

“Mostly I just heard Casey flirting with you and you yelling at him. Nothing out of the ordinary. Why?” 

“No reason.” She continued down the tunnel. “How are you guys doing?”

“Do you have to ask like that?” Raph grumbled.

“Like what?”

“Like we’re kids…”

“Sorry, I’m not trying to sound condescending, just sensitive. I know what its like to miss your father…”

“Cept yours came back…”

“Come on Raph, she’s just trying to be nice.” Casey came to her defense. 

“Look, we’re doing as good as we can be ok? Its not like Splinter didn’t prepare us for life without him. I guess he always knew he was going to leave us behind…”

“He didn’t leave us behind! Splinter loved us Raph!” Michaelangelo said as they came into view of the turnstiles. “Why do you always have to make it sound like he abandoned us!?!”

“Leave him alone Mikey.” Leonardo shut the doors to Splinters room behind him. “Its just his way of dealing with it.”

“Tch!” Raphael scoffed and jumped over the back of the couch. He crossed his arms and continued to pout angrily. A sure sign that Leonardo had hit the nail on the head. 

“Guys its working! I don’t know why I didn’t think to do this sooner!”

“Do what Donnie?”

“April!” Donatello ran over to her moving his feet quickly with excitement. “Check out my police scanner!” He took her by the hand and led her into his lab.

Casey crossed his arms and scowled, but walked into the lab after them along with the rest of the turtles.

“When you said police scanner I thought you meant you tuned in to their radio frequency! This is amazing!”

“No way! Any moron can tune into police radio frequency! But to map their entire operation using their cameras, radio and car systems? Now that takes some turtle power!”

“Donnie, if you ever say that again I will jam your bowstaff down your throat.” Raph said, though he marveled at the complex system of crime tracking his brother had built.

“Yea, it sounded better in my head.” Donatello typed some key words into his new police data computer. “Along with the city grid and security cameras we can know about crimes as they happen! That way if anything big goes down we can be there even when we aren’t on patrol!”

Since the death of their master and the demise of the shredder the turtles had resolved the continue protecting the streets of new York from crime. It gave purpose to them as a ninja clan. Every so often they would join up with Karai and Shini, Casey and April, even the mighty mutanimals, to take down some of the bigger pockets of crime as they grew in numbers. There were still some factions of the foot causing trouble and on a slow day there were always purple dragons to bust. They kept an eye out for Beebop and Rock steady as well as Tiger claw, Razar and Backster Stockman, but none of them had shown up since the Shredder.

“So whats the plan? Who are we smashing tonight?” Casey pulled out a baseball bat and hit it against his open palm.

“Looks like tonight we have some purple dragons lurking around the pawn shop in Brooklyn.”

“Purple Dragons? Isn’t there anything better?”

“Casey, we have school tomorrow. Purple dragons are enough for a Monday night.” April scolded. 

A few moments later they were leaping along the rooftops. April still had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the turtles but she was never more than a couple steps behind them. Casey would never be able to keep up with their swift running if it weren’t for his modified skates. He wasn’t very skilled on his feet. Don, Mike and Raph came to a stop behind Leo who was perched on the edge of a building across the street from the pawn shop.

“Easy pickings.” Casey whispered, referring to the Purple dragons doing a bad job hiding in the shadows below. 

“Something doesn’t feel right…” Leo thought aloud to himself.

“Hun must be here.” Raphael looked about but saw nothing.

“He may have given me trouble before but I can take that dweeb now.”

“Patience serves as protection from wrong as clothes do against cold.” Leonardo sounded like he had swallowed his father again. 

“Yea but it doesn’t stop the purple dragons from making off with all the valuables in that pawn shop. Goongala!” Shot his grappling hook to the pawnshop roof and swung down.

Two purple dragons looked up just in time to take a heel to the chest from Caseys metal skates. The two went down but more were closing in around the hockey masked hero. April slapped her hand to her forehead in exasperation. The turtles were accustomed to Casey’s antics and took the long way around. They knew Casey could handle himself and they would be more help to him catching any of the other dragons by surprise. 

“Casey Jones” Said a familiar voice.

“Hun.” He said with bloodlust.

“Come along Jones. Let us play.” He motioned for him with his hand.

Casey crouched and pushed off with his back foot crossing over to pick up speed as he held his hockey stick out like a sword. The battle had begun.


	5. The Plot Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What they believe to be a simple robbery turns out to be much more.

“Guys, this is bad…” Donnie said as they surveilled the scene inside the pawn shop. 

The wall of the pawn shop had been blown in and the storage room on the other side had been exposed. 

“The place next door is a cleaning supply company, how bad can it be?” Leo asked.

“Theres a reason it was easier for the Purple dragons to break in through the pawn shop wall. These chemicals require extensive permits because they can be used in mixtures that create everything from bombs to chemical weapons! These ingredients mixed with some simple house hold products could wreak havoc on the nervous system! Have you heard of agent orange?!?”

“Dude, that should totally be my new nick name.” Mikey posed.

“Now is not the time Mikey, we need to find out what and how much of this was taken!"

“I’ll get Casey!” April ran outside just in time to see him leaping through the air towards Hun.

The flamboyant leader of the street gang blocked quite expertly but Casey had grown adept at fighting with him. He spun and struck his hand at Huns rib cage. After a second block Casey kicked his foot out finally making contact with the small of his enemy’s back.

“Casey! They’re stealing chemicals! We have to stop any dragons from leaving!”

“I’m on it!” Casey left Hun on the ground and began skating after the grunts who had scattered when he swung down from the roof. “April tie up Hun!”

“Crap.” As she turned to secure the enemy she saw him running after Casey.

“April! Warn Casey about those chemicals! Breathing them in or getting them on his skin could do some real damage!” 

With a determined look she followed Casey and the gang members down the dark New York street and into the night.


	6. The Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey faces the price of his pride as he unknowingly pursues a dangerous threat.

        “Get back here you creep!” One of Casey’s pucks hit one of the lesser dragons in the back of the head sending him to the ground in an unconscious heap.

 

        Hun approached from behind as Casey grinned beneath his mask while he knocked the last Dragon to the ground.

  
  
        “This is your last mistake Jones.” Hun said taking the numbered bottle from the grunt. “Do you know what happens when you mix these chemicals together?”

 

        “Your going to kill me with a bottle of bleach and breath freshener?”

 

        “No. I’m going to kill HER!” Hun extended his hand just as April came around the corner flinging the mixed contents her direction.

 

        April held up her arms in front of her face holding her breath, but nothing hit her.

 

        “Don’t worry Red, its just his breath spray and whatever was in that bottle.” Casey was stood in front of her.

 

        “Casey! Get away Donnie says its dangerous!”

 

        “How can it be dangerous! I feel fine!” He faced Hun once more ready for battle.

 

        But Hun only stood staring at him with that damn smug smile. Casey coughed, then coughed again. After a moment he had to take his hand off his stick and hold his chest. He felt a tightening in his lungs as the air around him seemed to get thinner. Each intake was like breathing through a wet cloth. He fell to one knee and then to his side. His vision faded slightly, deprived of air, but through the haze and the coughing he could see Hun slowly walking away.

 


	7. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As April and the turtles rush to save Casey it becomes clear that the Purple Dragons aren't messing around anymore.

        Casey lay on the ground gasping for air that didn’t seem to fill his lungs.

 

        “Casey!” April cried “Can you hear me? We need to get you to Donnie! He can help! Can you stand?” She steadied him by the back as she pulled his arm over her shoulder.

 

        “Hgk! *Gasp* Hhhgk-!” He coughed and fell down, his strength nonexistent as he struggled for air.

 

        April reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone only finding that it had been broken during her brief fight in the pawn shop. She began to search through Casey's pockets trying to find his but had no luck. He desperately pulled at the neck of his sweater, as if it were too tight. April got down on her knees and ripped the front of his shirt away from his neck, but it was useless. His shirt had nothing to do with his choking, they both knew that, but they were running out of time. The amount of air Casey took into his lungs with each labored breath grew smaller and smaller. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she helped Casey from his side to a reclining position

 

“What do I do?” She sobbed tears running down her cheeks in fear and frustration. “Casey, tell me what to do…”

 

“L-leave me *gasp* here... Go-hgk get Donnie.”

 

“B-but its dangerous here! The purple dragons!”

 

“What-hgk do they want with me? Hgk-I’m already *gasp* dead.”

 

“Don’t say that!!!”

 

“Whatever *gasp* they have planned *gasp* for that poison-hgk, we have to stop it. GO!” He pushed her away from him.

 

His muscles were weak, she could feel it as he attempted to shove her onward. Donnie was her only hope now. As much as she hated to leave him, choking in the street, she knew Donatello was his best chance at survival. She ran back down the road towards the pawn shop.

 

“Any luck catching them?” Leo asked as she came around the corner.

 

“Help! I need Donnie!”

 

“Woa! He’s checking the stores records to find out which chemicals are missing. Whats going on?” Raphael asked.

 

“He’s dying!” She cried uncontrollably running straight into Leonardos chest. “I had to leave him in the street! Hun threw some sort of chemical mixture at him! He inhaled it and now he’s choking! He can’t breathe! You have to help him!”

 

“Yo! Don! Did you hear that?” Mikey called in to the chemical store urgently.

 

Donnie came around the corner. “Get him back to the lair now! Give him a shot from the vile on the top shelf in my lab fridge!”

 

“How much should we give him?” Leo asked, Raph and Mikey had already started running in the direction April had come from.

 

“It doesn’t matter! Its Epinephrine. As much as you can fit in a syringe should be fine! We just need to slow down whatever he was poisoned with!”

 

“What about you?!?” April asked. “Aren’t you coming?”

 

“I have to make sure I have a list of every chemical that is missing! If I don’t I won’t be able to figure out what he was poisoned with to cure it! I will meet you at the lair as soon as I’m done!” Donnie continued to rifle through the papers.

 

“Donnie, please.” April took his hand. “Please, don’t let Casey die.”

 

“I won’t April.” He put his other hand on top of hers. “I’ll do everything I can to save him. I promise you.”

 

She nodded tearfully and ran after the others. By the time she made her way back to Casey, Raph and Leo already had his arms over their shoulders. Casey’s feet dragged limply behind him. Mikey began to lead the way back to the lair, April followed closely.

 

“How is he?”

 

“He’s unconscious. He’s still breathing, but barely.” Leo held the blade of his sword up to Casey’s face relived to see it fog slightly.

 

They made great time considering they were carrying a large teenagers limp body. But to April it felt like eternity.She was the first person into the lab, she went straight to the fridge to find the epinephrine. Raph and Leo laid Casey out on the table as Mikey found something soft to go under his head.

 

“April…Hurry!” Leo urged holding his katana blade up to Casey’s face once more. This time there was no fog.

 

April bit firmly down on her lip forcing herself to concentrate as she slipped the clean needle into the lid of the bottle and filled the syringe with the clear liquid.

 

“Where do we stab him with it?” Mikey asked concerned. “In the heart like the movies?”

 

“Probably the leg. Thats how its done for allergies.” April pushed her way passed the turtles.

 

She gripped the syringe in her fist and pushed the needle deep into Casey’s thigh pressing the plunger. She looked at him desperately for a moment but he didn’t move.

 

“He’s still not breathing!” Leo grew frantic along with his brothers.

 

“Move! I’m giving him mouth to mouth!” April pushed them aside.

 

She pressed her lips against his and breathed into him. His chest rose lightly. She put her cheek near his mouth to check for air. Nothing. She met his lips once more. Nothing. Tears began to build in her eyes as the hopelessness of the situation descended upon her. She placed her cheek near his mouth again. Her tears dropped onto Casey’s cheeks as she desperately hoped to hear or feel him breathe on his own. And then finally, air.

 

“Casey? Casey!” She clapped her hand lightly against his face hoping he would wake up. “Can you hear me? Casey say something!”

 

Raphael urged her away from Casey’s motionless body as Leonardo removed his sword once more. To Aprils great relief it fogged.

 

“You did it.” Leo smiled at her. “April I think you just saved his life.”

 

She fell to her knees, exhausted, and wept.


	8. Wouldn't trade it for the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets out

Casey blinked lightly. His head hurt, his brain felt foggy, there was a strange tube in his nose and mouth. He reached up and felt the strange sensation of a long noodly tube running out of his esophagus as he pulled on it. He coughed and pulled another larger breather out of his mouth.

“D-doctor!” Aprils voice came from next to him.

Once he had removed all the strange things from his airway his breathing became labored and painful. He wheezed as he took in breaths. 

“Calm down Mr. Jones.” Said a stern but gentle nurse. “You’re in the hospital.”

She placed a mask over his face. The cold flow of oxygen on his skin and into his lungs slowly subsided the pain of each breath. His gasps turned to a soft rhythm and after a moment the nurse took the mask away and replaced it with a simple tube against the bottom of his nose. 

“He should be stable now.” The nurse informed April. “But make sure he stays calm and his breathing says even. Call me if there is any more trouble.”

With that they were left alone once more.

“Casey?” April approached his bed as if he were fragile. “Do you remember what happened?”

He hated being coddled like this. He much preferred his short and sweet hospital visits where he got stitches, a bandaid and a sucker and was sent on his way. Laying in a hospital bed made him feel restless, useless. 

“Last thing I remember…” He paused to breathe. “I was swinging down from the rooftop towards some purple dragons…Don’t tell me I fell. That would be embarrassing.”

“No” April smiled, her eyes red and swollen from crying. “No, you made it down from that. Fought off a fair couple of dragons too. It was Hun. He poisoned you with something…”

“I-I kinda remember now…He was going to throw it at you.”

“Luckily Donnie was able to figure out what poisoned you and the hospital had no trouble curing it once we got you here. You nearly died though…You stopped breathing for a while.”

“Wow…at the hospital?” 

“No. At the lair. I had to revive you. I thought you were gone for good… Once we got to the hospital they gave me a shot too. They said I didn’t get nearly as much as you did but since I gave you mouth to mouth I did actually get a slight contamination. I didn’t even notice it though, so much adrenaline. I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

Her eyes looked heavy as she hung her head, exhausted.

“C’mere Red.” Casey motioned to her.

She climbed into bed next to him, laying above the covers with her head on his chest. He put his arms around her and held her close. She could hear his breaths, still labored, with her ear against him. But the soft rhythm of his heart was the most comforting thing in the world at that moment.

“What are we doing Casey?” She asked the existential question.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a vigilante sports fanatic and I’m a psychic sewer ninja…”

“Sounds like Romeo and Juliette to me.”

April smiled and laughed a little. She loved that even in the most dire situation the big dumb lug in her arms could make her laugh. Her tears fell softly into his hospital gown.

“Why are we doing this?” Her voice shook. “Why are we risking our lives for this city? Why can’t we just be teenagers?”

“Hey, April, look at me.” He turned her face upward and stared into her blue eyes. “Think of all that has happened. Think of what we have seen, who we have met. April, we’ve been in space! We have visited alien planets! We have fought ninjas, robots, brain monsters, hell, we even fought psychedelic mushroom creatures. You look me in the eyes and tell me you would trade any of that to be a ‘real teenager’, because I don’t need to be psychic to know that would be a lie.”

“I…I wouldn’t trade that for a regular teenage life.” She admitted, tears still falling as she looked back at his warm brown stare. “But I’d trade anything for your life…I can’t watch you die again…”

“I’ve got some bad news for you Red. I’m still alive. And you’re stuck with me.” He brushed the tears off her cheek with the blade of his thumb.

“Dammit Casey, stop making me smile. I’m trying to be upset here.”

“Nah, I like it better when you smile. Look Red, you know that even if we both tried we’d never be able to quit doing what we do. We’ve accomplished more as teenagers than most will in their entire lives. If I had died…well, at least I lived the way I wanted.”

“I…I guess you’re right.” She placed her head back on his chest and hugged him tightly. “But if you must die being a vigilante at least do me the courtesy of letting me die first so I don’t have to watch you go.”

“Not gonna happen. Casey Jones is gonna die young and stupid. April O’neil is going to live a long life with grand kids and great grand kids. But you may as well ride the Casey train while its still around.”

“I hate you Casey Jones.”

“No you don’t.” He smiled and turned her head to face him once more as he kissed her sweetly.

*Ahem* Came a voice from the window.

“R-Raph!” Casey stammered. “What are you doing here?!?”

“Checking in on my buddy. Whats it look like?”

To Aprils dismay she realized that Raph wasn’t the only one at the window. Casey’s room was near a roof overlook. It was easy for all 4 turtles to stand outside and look in. She sat up off his bed quickly and adjusted her wrinkled shirt and messy hair.

“H-how long were you…?”

“Long enough.” Donnie said. “Whats the prognosis?”

April felt bashful and ashamed as she updated the turtles on Casey’s condition. After a few moments visiting, Leo, Mikey, and Donnie, began to head back to the lair while Raph stayed and punked around with Casey.

“D-Donnie? C-can I talk to you?” April exited the window to the pebbled roof landing.

“…we’ll meet you back at the lair.” Leo said cautiously, eager to get away.

“Look, April you don’t have to explain anything to me…” He said sincerely. “I knew there was something happening between you and Casey and I would have been kidding myself to think otherwise. Though I appreciate your discretion…I’d like to think I’m smart enough to put two and two together.” His voice was a bit sad but honest.

“It…It actually happened kind of recently…”

“Thats what you think.” Donnie smiled softly. “But I remember how upset you were when he got swallowed by that worm…Or even when he fell off that roof. You guys are kidding yourselves if you think your relationship is a recent development.”

“Ok, so there has been something there for a long time…” She finally admitted to herself. “But I never wanted to hurt your feelings Donnie. You’re one of my best friends! Even more than your brothers. If I’m being honest I really wish I could have talked to you about Casey while it was happening but…I wanted to be considerate of your feelings…  
“Its not that you aren’t a great guy Donnie. You really are! And before you go there the fact that you’re a mutant turtle has nothing to do with it! Casey just…”

“…Completes you?” Donnie smirked.

“Eww. I wouldn’t say-“

“I know you wouldn’t, but its true isn’t it? I mean, I always liked you because we are so alike. And sure that works for some people like Raph an Mona. But for smart people like you and I…We need someone who can make us stop thinking for a moment. Someone to ground us and make us appreciate whats going on around us.”

“You see? Thats why I wish I could have talked to you about this. You can say it better than I ever could.” She wiped unfallen tears from her eyes.

“Its ok April. I’ll aways care about you. I’ve honestly never wanted anything from our relationship other than to be near you. And who knows? Maybe now that you and Casey are an item it will be easier. And maybe if…when I find someone, I can talk to you about it the way you wanted to talk to me about Casey.”

“I’d like that.” April smiled.

They stood in silence for a moment smiling at each other. After they were satisfied with the conclusion of their feelings they held out their arms and exchanged the most meaningful hug they ever had.

“I’m glad I know you Donnie.”

“Likewise. Now get in there and tell Casey you love him or something.”

“No…” She said with another tearful smile as they separated from their hug. “Even now, I’m gonna make him wait. He’s such a confident jerk you know? It will be nice to hold this over his head for a little while.”

“Thats my girl.” He winked at her.

“Take care Donnie. I’ll get him back on his feet and out there to figure out what Hun has planed for those chemicals.”

“Not if I figure it out first!” Donnie leapt off the rooftop and into the night sky.

“How’d he take it?” Raph startled her from behind.

“H-he…He took it great. You and your brothers are amazing people Raph.”

“Takes one to know one I guess.” He gave her a light punch to the arm. “That idiot in there is crazy about you, by the way.”

“I know. And no one knows how to do crazy quite like Casey Jones.”

“Thats for sure.” He exited the window onto the roof. “You know, if that dumb lug ever gives you any trouble you have four teenage mutant ninja turtles at your disposal to pound him for it.” He punched his open palm. 

“I do know. And you know that I am perfectly capable of handling Casey Jones.”

“I honestly don’t think any one else ever could. Have a good night April!” Raph leapt off the roof after his brothers.

April climbed in the window to find Casey softly sleeping. She placed her open hand against his chest feeling it rise and fall and the gentle pulse of his heart beat. Still satisfying. She sighed and climbed into bed next to him. 

“Get some sleep Casey.” She snuggled up to him once more. “As soon as you’re better we have more exciting lives to live. You and me. And our Ninja Turtles.”


	9. Recovery

Casey buckled his pants, glad that his father had brought him some fresh clothes. His old ones had been disposed of considering they were covered in poison and torn at the chest. It had been easy enough to explain the incident to the doctors and his family. They merely told them he had been goofing around in the school lab and knocked some things off the shelf. Given his history of hospital visits he had gotten away with some stern lectures and threats from his father. Luckily his gear had all been removed at the lair. 

It had been two days since he was admitted and he had been antsy to leave a mere two hours after he woke up. Hun was out there with gallons of poison and a no good plan of how to use them. He tied his bandana around his head and turned to leave his hospital room when he bumped in to April coming through the door. 

“Hey Red, miss me already?” He turned the accidental chest bump into an embrace. 

“Hands off Jones. We have work to do.” 

“Here? Babe, I love the freakiness but aren’t you worried we’ll get caught?”

“Casey, are you wearing a cup?”

“No. Why?” 

“You may want to make that a regular part of your wardrobe if you plan to keep calling me babe.” 

“Really?” He mumbled to himself. “I’m in trouble for calling you babe but not for the sex joke?”

“Hun is out there with the chemicals that poisoned you and who knows what he has planed for them!” She turned quickly and pulled out her tessen.

“Wow, Red, chill out. Isn’t Donnie working on that? What do you expect us to do before we are able to track them?”

“Arg! I’m sick of sitting around here while he’s out there! That idiot almost killed you! Now he’s lording it up doing god knows what while he should be rotting in an unmarked grave!”

“Hey, breathe. Look, April no one wants to nail this guy more than I do. But there is no use raging about it when you can’t change it. You know I normally don’t jump on the Donnie band wagon but right now it feels like the right thing to do. The more certain we are about his plan the better we can be sure we have him. In the meantime please, just…spend some time with me.”

Her knees felt weak. All she wanted to do was spend time with him. But when she knew he wasn’t safe how could she just relax?

“It certainly is sexy that you want to catch my bad guy though.”

“Your bad guy?”

“Please, Hun has always been my bad guy. I suppose now he can be our bad guy.”

“Shut up Casey.” She smiled. “What do you want to do in the meantime?”

He raised an eyebrow.


	10. Getting wet

“Jones…This is not what I thought you meant…” She clutched her arms around her mostly naked body.

“Just relax Red. Let it happen.” He kissed her cheek from behind making skin to skin contact of his bare chest with her exposed back.

“It feels kind of wrong to be at a waterpark while Hun is out there…”

“No more Hun talk. Its time for you to take down this water slide April O’niel!” 

“Yea April! How often are you gonna get this chance?!? Booyakashaaaa!!!!” Mikey ran past them and slid head first down the long curving slide.

“Isn’t this trespassing?” She asked nervously still feeling bashful in front of all of her male friends in a bikini.

“I mean…sort of…” My dads security company works for this park and last time I visited the office I kinda… swiped a key…After that I figured Donnie could figure out how to run the water and wipe the security cameras and bam! Water park vacation with the turtles.”

“This is the smartest thing you’ve ever done Casey.” Leo pushed off down the slide. 

“Last one down has shell rot!” Raph jumped into the enclosed tube making some fairly impressive air time before belly flopping into the water. 

“There, you see? They’re all enjoying it!”

“Casey, Donnie screamed all the way down the slide…”

“Well, thats because I pushed him. I wasn’t about to listen to him read off all of the safety rules. Besides I wanted to kiss you and you still want to be considerate. So I considerately knocked his legs out from under him.”

“Well thats just-”

“Bored now.”

“Wha-AHHHH!!!”

Casey bear hugged her and they both went barreling down the slide. Aprils scream soon turned into a laugh as together they twisted and turned through the bends in the tube. They finally saw the light at the end as they were spat out into the pool at the bottom. Raph and Leo were playing around in the water splashing each other while Mikey sat atop the opening of the slide they had just come out of with a water gun laughing and spraying it at anything that moved. Donnie on the other hand was sitting pensively on the steps out of the pool. 

“Whats wrong Donnie? Got swimmers ear?” April asked.

“Turtles don’t have ears!” 

“Yes we do Casey!” Donnie snapped out of his thoughts just long enough to yell at his long time rival. “I think I may have just figured out what the Purple Dragons are up to…”

“What? You have?” April waded over to him.

“I mean, think of it, the chemicals on their own don’t make much use even when mixed with other things…” 

“I don’t know, did a hell of a number on me…” Casey rubbed his throat. 

“Yea but that was when mixed in a 12 oz bottle and it wasn’t enough to poison more than one person…Also it was easily curable if treated in time. If Casey had been treated right away he would have recovered in hours instead of days. They must be mixing something more complicated… Something that can’t be cured…”

“L-Like what?” Mikey asked frightened.

“Like death.”

They all stopped playing. Donnie put his hand down into the pool water.

“Chlorine…” He said quietly.

April gasped and put her hands to her mouth.

“Who cares about pool cleaner?”

“Chlorine isn’t just pool cleaner Casey…its poisonous…”

“It was used in world war one as a chemical weapon…” Donnie said. “If they mix even a small amount of the chemicals they stole with a large amount of chlorine they could create a lethal gas. With that kind of weapon they could hold all of New York hostage.”

“Where would they get that much chlorine?”

“Anyone with thumbs can get chlorine. They can order it, they can take it from any inner city pool, the cleaning company would have had some too.”

“Alright.” Leo lifted himself out of the water to sit on the edge of the pool. “What do we do?”

“We need to find out where the purple dragons are holding the chemicals.” April said. “And we need to do it now.”


	11. Save time for later

“Should you really be practicing right now?”

 

“I’m fine! The hospital said when they released me that so long as I didn’t overdo it in the next couple days there should be no complications from the poison.”

 

“Thats not what I meant…” April skated around the ice rink, still unsteady and unable to stop, but she enjoyed it none the less.

 

“The guys are out searching for the dragons latest hideout and Donnie is glued to a computer screen. I’m not sure there is much we can do at this point. They work a lot faster at this kind of recon without us.” He took a shot into the upper right corner of the open goal.

 

“But shouldn’t we be like…training or something? Its not like we can just go to the cops about the dragons. We are going to have to at _least_ go in there and get some evidence…”

 

“I don’t know about you Red, but for me hockey practice _is_ training.” He flipped the puck on to the blade of his stick, bouncing it twice before swatting it out of the air and in to the goal.

 

“Show off.”

 

“Hey, you have your skills…” He reached into her back pocket and pulled out her tessen and handed it to her. “And I have mine.”

 

April smiled opening the war fan and throwing it at the goal. It bounced off the crossbar and flew expertly back into her hand.

 

“Damn, thats sexy. Did I ever tell you how much it turns me on when you do that?”

 

“Down boy.” She skated unsteadily away.

 

“No, seriously! Like, more than just into you like…damn, I want to be around that girl all the time! That night when the robot ninjas came after you in the rink and you threw that knife thing at its head? That was it, I was done for. You were the one for me.”

 

April smiled, her back turned to him. She was always grateful for the opportunity to hide some of her more honest expressions from him. Casey was so liberal with his feelings. He always said exactly what was on his mind and never held anything back. Keeping her expressions from him was her own little way of asserting her dominance.

 

“Woa!” April cried as she began to wobble.

 

Casey skated over to her and watched as she windmilled her arms trying to stay up.

 

“H-help!”

 

“You got it Red! Keep at it! You can do it!”

 

“I’m gonna- ahh!!!”

 

“Woa, hey!” Finally Casey stepped in and kept her from falling. “You get better at this every time you know. Maybe someday you’ll make it out of here without any bruises on your butt.” He held her from behind guiding her around the ice.

 

“We can’t have _that_ can we? You’re going to have to see me naked one of these days.”

 

“Wha-?” Casey reacted so suddenly that the two of them fell over.

 

April landed on Casey’s chest as he winced slightly from landing on his back. She looked up at him and giggled.

 

“Wow Jones, I really got you with that one didn’t I?”

 

Casey was actually speechless for a moment, all he could do was smile through his flushed cheeks. Finally he but his hands on her chilled red ears and looked into her blue eyes reflecting the cold fluorescent light back at him as warm rays of comfort and security. She inched forward to kiss him. He closed his eyes and tilted his head to meet her lips, but before they made contact Aprils T-phone began to chime. She looked away from him and Casey scowled at the device in her hands as she examined the screen.

 

“This is it! They found it!”

 

“Lets get this over with.” Casey said. “Save that kiss for me for later.” He put his finger gently over her lips as he rolled her off him and on to her back.

 

“You think you’re _so_ smooth…” But she did intend to save it for later. In fact, later she’d kiss him till his lips were raw. Then see how smooth he was. She chuckled at her own silly thoughts as she carefully stood up and headed off the rink.


	12. The Battle

Casey walked into the empty warehouse. His eyes darted about beneath his hockey mask as he listened for the purple dragons.

“I am fed up with you, hockey boy. You really think you can stop me? My plan is already happening.”

“Get out here Hun!” Casey yelled at the disembodied voice bouncing off the walls. “Get out here and fight!”

“You think fighting will end this? As we speak my ‘warning’ shot is being deployed. After the first couple of casualties the city will be forced to pay my ransom!” Hun stepped into view on the highest catwalk.

“Ransom? Is this really about money?”

“This is about power Jones. If they don’t turn control of the city over to me then people will begin to die.”

“Thats not how things work you idiot! They’ll call in the national guard! They would bomb this city off the map before they let you have it!”

“If you really believe that then why are you here?”

Casey looked down at the phone in his hand as it lit up. “Heh. Jig is up Hun. We shut you down.”

“What are you talking about?”

“This!” Shouted Donnie as a metal device the size of a pumpkin flew out of the shadows and into the middle of the room. 

“What?!?” Hun shouted. 

“Can’t set off your chemical bomb without the remote switch.” Donnie grinned.

“Fools! You really think there was only one?” Hun held up his hand and pressed a button in his palm.

“No, we figured that out pretty quick.” April threw another remote into the room.

“Sorry we’re late.” Leo dragged the warehouse door open followed by Raph, Mikey and April.

“These things are more complicated than you said Donnie!” Michelangelo complained throwing his own particularly damaged remote into the pile.

“It…It is not possible…”

“Oh, sorry, did you need these?” Casey grinned tipping up his mask.

“Dragons! Retrieve the devices! This city will be mine!” 

Hun’s minions surrounded them as they stepped out of the shadows with chains and pipes in hand.

“Oh goodie.” April smiled. “I was hoping we’d get to crack some heads.”

“I love it when you talk dirty.” Casey smiled as they charged the first of the dragons.

“You guys make pretty lousy ninjas!” Leo sliced through an incoming chain. “You really think we didn’t know you were hiding out there?”

“All that heavy breathing and sweaty pits! You’d think it was Casey trying to hide from us!” Raph laughed flipping two dragons over his shoulders at once.

“Hey!”

“Oh shut it Casey, you’re constantly in hockey gear! You think you smell good?”

“At least I don’t stink like a sewer!”

“You do actually.”

“How is it that none of my dragons can lay a single finger on these clowns while they have a damn conversation!?!” Hun bellowed. 

He jumped over the railing landing solidly on his feet.

“Come along jones. Are you ready for a REAL fight?” He motioned for him.

“Maybe in a million years, when you’ve had time to get on my level.”

Casey skates clicked onto his feet. He sped towards him, his goalie stick swinging towards his chest. Hun jumped and dodged backwards only to have his foot caught by the crook of the stick as Casey stepped lightly through.

“In hockey they call that a slew foot!” He laughed as Hun looked up from his back.

He kicked his feet out flipping himself onto his feet.

“Why won’t you just die Jones!” Hun reached into his shirt and removed a vile.

Casey put his arms in front of it face and held his breath, but nothing hit him. He looked up to see the vile floating in mid air as April stepped between them and took it.

“Not gonna happen.” She grinned.

“You!!!”

April threw her tessen at Hun who narrowly managed to deflect it with his metal rings. But before he could adjust his stance April was in front of him. Unable to block, her fist came in contact with his face shattering his glasses and sending him onto his back.

“You are going to regret that, girl!”

“Thats probably not what you need to be worried about right now.”

Red and blue lights flashed in the windows.

“No…! Dragons! Disperse!” Hun shouted.

The turtles leapt into the metal rafters as Casey and April ran for the back exit.


	13. No Regrets

“I can’t believe how fast the cops got here!” April smiled breathing heavily as they fled the scene. 

She and Casey ducked around the corner spying on the cops as they cuffed and carted off the dragons one after one. Casey grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to his chest. He had his back against the cinderblock wall, he too was breathing heavily. He smiled from ear to ear as he pulled her up onto her toes and kissed her deeply. 

“Casey…” April said warningly, though she shared his smile. “What are you doing?”

“Riding the adrenaline high.” He said kissing her again.

His tongue gently brushed against hers as he took her by the back of the neck pulling her deeper into the affectionate gesture. 

“Mmmm-You decide to ride the high here? Of all places?” She nodded her head at the dirty street corner and the empty production plant behind him.”

“That night, when I left you.” He kissed her briefly. “I wanted to show you I cared about you for more than just sex. I wanted to prove to you that I like you for who you are.” He continued to kiss her between sentences.”But the next night I almost died.” He brushed his tongue over her lips. “And I know I told you in the hospital that I live the way I want and I could die with no regrets. Mmmnn- But I couldn’t stop thinking later, that if I had died that night I would have one regret.” He pulled her deep into the kiss once more then finally released her.

“And whats that?” April asked breathing heavily for a completely different reason now.

“I would regret never getting to be with the one I love. Never getting to experience…you.”

“So you’re saying-“

“I’m saying I don’t want to stop being a vigilante. I don’t want to stop risking my life. And if doing what I love kills me…Well, I just don’t want to have any regrets.”

“And you’re saying you love me?” Their faces were so close they couldn’t even look into each others eyes.

“Yes April. I love you. I am so incredibly in love with you.”

She kissed him, not with lustful passion as they just had, but sweetly, affectionately.

“Do you…feel the same?”

She pulled back from him just enough for him to see the cheeky smile on her face. He studied her expression. He caught the look of mischief in her eyes. She wouldn’t tell him. He knew she wouldn’t tell him. But she knew, that the expression would satisfy is question while still leaving it burning in his brain. She leaned forward and kissed him again, with the same escalating vigor they had before. 

“Lets go Casey Jones. Can’t have the possibility of regret hanging over you can we?” She took him by the hand and lead him down the side of the abandoned building.


	14. #SEXSCENE

“My dad works the graveyard shift tonight.” Casey locked the apartment door. “And my sister is at some kind of girl scout overnight thing.”

 

“Your sister is a girl scout?”

 

“Yea, she won’t last long. She’s a total tomboy, she just thinks she’s supposed to do what _all_ the girls are doing right now.”

 

April grinned. That sounded more like someone who would be related to Casey.

 

“Where is your room?” She asked.

 

“That is the sexiest thing I have ever heard you say.”

 

She laughed softly as he took her by the hand and lead her through the dark apartment.

 

“Sorry about the mess.” He took his helmet off.

 

She looked around the room, illuminated by pale moonlight. He had a full mattress laying directly on the floor. There were various red white and blue hockey posters containing the New York Rangers all over the walls. The room wasn’t as messy as she had expected it. True there were clothes strewn about, but it was clear that Casey didn’t own enough clothes to make his room _that_ much of a mess. His bed was unmade and there was a small stack of dishes next to some comic books on his desk. But in all the room truly reflected his personality. Simple, rough around the edges, yet comforting in a strange way.

 

She fell into a seated position on his bed looking around at the posters and vintage equipment hanging on the walls.

 

“I like your room Casey Jones.”

 

He removed the other pieces of gear he was wearing, kneepads, elbow pads, the strap containing his weapons.

 

“Do you mean it or are you just saying that?” He hopped on one foot as he tried to remove his hightop chucks without untying them.

 

She pulled her boots off and laid backwards onto his bed. She was amazed that his sheets actually seamed clean. She expected him to sleep in a sleeping bag filled with crumbs. She wrapped her fingers in the soft grey material and breathed in his scent.

 

“Whatcha’ doing Red?” He flopped down on the mattress next to her causing her to bounce in the air slightly.

 

“Nothing. I’m surprised at how comfortable your bed is. Maybe I’ll just sleep in it.”

 

“Should I leave you two alone?” He began to get up with a smirk.

 

“No! Come back!” She complained smiling. “I thought you wanted _me.”_

 

“I do, but Casey Jones is a gentleman. If you’d rather be intimate with my bedsheets than me I’ll just have to learn to take the rejection.” He propped his head up on his elbow and gazed at her. “God you are beautiful. And I’m so goofy looking.” He showed the hole in his teeth sticking out his tongue through it.

 

“Yea, you are.” She rolled towards him until her back was directly against him. “But I think you’ve grown on me.”

 

“Lucky me.” He kissed her.

 

This time it was her that pulled him into the kiss. She loved how devoted he was to her without being overbearing. She could sense his every emotion, and there wasn’t anything psychic about it. She had wanted this for a long time too. She knew how much he wanted her that night in her room. She could feel his longing in every kiss, in every glance. At the time she had been ready for what ever was going to happen to happen. It had been his choice to stop. But now, nothing in the world was going to take this moment from her. Not the foot, not the Krang, and certainly not the Purple Dragons.

 

Casey’s hand drifted up her bare back beneath her shirt. He found the hooks of her bra and expertly undid them in one quick motion.

 

“Have you done this before?” She asked quizzically.

 

“S-some of it…” He gave her a worried smile.

 

“You do know that when you’re with me you can’t be with other girls right? I’m your girlfriend. Only me.”

 

“It was always going to be only you.” He kissed her forehead.”And I love hearing you call yourself my girlfriend.”

 

His hand drifted under her bra, he put a light pressure on her breast. April closed her eyes and moaned lightly. She had never expected for that to feel so good. Casey continued to kiss her and run his fingers across her chest. After a moment she reached for the lower hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Her headband got caught in it as she tossed it aside and she let out her ponytail with a light shake of her head.

 

With her entire upper body exposed and her hair falling lightly over her shoulders Casey found himself mesmerized by her beauty. He touched his rough fingers softly to her clavicle.

 

“S-smooth.” The word escaped him against his will.

 

“Quit-quit staring at me…” She blushed holding her hands over her chest.

 

“I could stare at you for the rest of life and I’d die happy.” He kissed her as she lifted his shirt off him.

 

“So… what part of this exactly _have_ you done before…?” She asked while he licked her neck.

 

“Really? You want to talk about that _now?”_

 

“Well…You clearly have _some_ experience and I have none…And its not as if I can be pissed at you for being with other girls before you even _knew_ me, so I thought it would make me a little less nervous if I knew how much more about this stuff you know than I do…I’m not used to being the one between the two of us that doesn’t know something.”

 

“Well…” He said his lips traveling down her body. “I’ve done this…” He ran his warm tongue over her breast making the hair on her neck stand on end at the soft but pleasurable sensation. “I’ve done this…” As he licked her he used his other hand to gently grip her other breast. “And I’ve done a little bit of this.” He undid the button on her shorts and ran his hand down her front between her legs.

 

He looked her in the eyes. Her expression was full of surprise. Her cheeks were flushed red all the way up to her ears and a light bead of saliva hung upon her lips.

 

“This is where it gets _fun.”_ He smiled softly at her. “But it may feel a little intense.”

 

He curled his middle finger into her. She tilted her head back and gasped.

 

“You ok?”

 

She nodded with her eyes tightly shut, biting her lip. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and put another finger into her. He pushed as deep as he could go with her pants still obstructing him, and curled the tips of his fingers lightly.

 

“Ahhhn!” She gasped her eyes shooting open. Her chest rose and fell quickly. “T-take them off.” She pleaded.

 

Casey removed his hand from her clothes and pulled her shorts and tights down from her hips. She kicked them off the rest of the way and sat up kissing him deeply. Her hands fumbled with his belt as she undid his jeans.

 

“What about this?” She asked stroking him through his boxers. “Have you done this?”

 

“Y-yes…But believe me when I say it never felt so good.” He panted.

 

She kissed him and continued to touch him as they both sat up on their knees in his bed. She was excited by his hardness. Her fingers were curious as they gripped him and explored his body while her lips were occupied with the kiss. Out of sheer impulse she removed his cock from his boxer shorts and ran her tongue from the base all the way to the tip. The taste was salty and a bit sweet.

 

“Have you done this before?” She took him into her mouth moving her head up and down as deep as her gag reflex would allow.

 

“Y-yes…” He tilted his head and upper body backwards.

 

He used one hand to steady himself while his fingers brushed her hair off the back of her neck with the other.

 

“But…” His breath was short.

 

“It never felt so good?” She looked up at him gripping and stroking with her hand. “You don’t have to say that to make me feel better.”

 

“I’m not.” He sat forward and pushed her onto her back kissing her.

 

As their bare chests collided she could feel his hardness between them. Casey kissed her neck.

 

“I never cared about anyone else I’ve been with…” He whispered licking her collar bone. “I never had this tight feeling in my chest when I kissed them…But with you, its almost like I’ve never really done any of this…” He panted as he gripped her hips with his hand so hard it almost hurt. “April…” He stopped touching her suddenly and looked weakly into her eyes. “I’ve never done _this_ before.”

 

He pushed her knees up slightly clearing the way for him to push himself inside of her. He went slow, exhaling all the air from his lungs at the tight sensation of her all around him. He felt her fingertips curl into the flesh of his lower back as she too reacted to the pleasurable feeling. Fully connected They looked at each other, faces flushed, breath heavy, eyes barely able to make each other out in the haze of the endorphins swirling about their bodies.

 

“Are you ok?” He breathed.

 

She nodded.

 

“I…” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m going to move.”

 

She nodded again.

 

He pulled out of her slightly. She moaned at even the simplest motion. He pulled out further. His head was spinning. Everything felt good in that moment. His heart pounding in his chest, his emotions swirling about his brain, her smell, her skin. He was intoxicated by her. He pushed forward back in to her.

 

“AHHN!!” She bit down on her knuckle trying to stop her voice from being so loud.

 

Casey pulled her hand away from her mouth placed it on his back.

 

“You can hold on to me.” He kissed her lightly still moving his hips.

 

“I-I can’t…I’m afraid if I do I’ll scratch you.”

 

“So scratch me.” He pushed deep into her.

 

“HAANNN!” She curled her nails into his shoulder.

 

He winced but even the pain felt good in that moment.

 

“Ahn! Ahn! Casey! I’m going to…AHH!!!”

 

He could feel her muscles contract around him. She tilted her head backward into the pillow.

 

“Are you ok?” He slowed his pace.

 

“Keep going!” She begged “Its good, so good.”

 

He sat backwards disconnecting from her.

 

“N-no…” She looked up to see why he had stopped.

 

Casey gripped her left leg hooking it over his shoulder and lifting her on to her side. He quickly pushed into her again, she gripped the pillow as he undulated against her, inside her. She could feel his grip on her leg tightening. She looked up at him just enough to see a labored expression on his face. But somehow she knew that it wasn’t a bad expression.

 

“Wait…” She breathed.

 

He stopped and looked at her, afraid he had hurt her with his aggressive movements. She turned over and propped herself up on her hands and knees looking back over her shoulder at him.

 

“I want to try it like this…”

 

Casey grinned and pushed into her once more. She could feel the rough skin of his hands pushing and pulling her hips. She felt his lips kiss her shoulder as he bent over and stroked her tender wet exposure with his fingers.

 

“I-I can’t!”

 

“Can’t what?” He breathed in her ear.

 

“I can’t handle both at once! I’m going to…again…”

 

“So cum.” He said, almost commanding her.

 

“Ahh! Ahh! Ahhhh!!!”

 

He felt her muscle contracting once more. He kept moving his hips into her until her second orgasm died down and then he turned her one last time to face him.

 

“I’m not sure…how much longer…” She breathed, sweat on her brow. “I want to come again, but I’m so t-tired…”

 

“Let me do all the work.” He said, a catch in his voice as he drew nearer and nearer.

 

“Casey…I think I’m already getting close…Faster…” She begged.

 

Casey sped his pace grinding his hips, sweat dripping down his temple and his back.

 

“Ahnnn!” He cried as his muscles burned. “A-april…”

 

“Casey I’m…AHH!!!”

 

He felt her muscles tighten around him for the last time. It was exactly what he needed to finish.

 

“AHH!!!” He pulled out, though it took everything in him not to cum inside her.

 

He held his hand out to stop the mess from getting on her but she reached forward and moved it away. She stroked his wet cock as beads of white liquid fell upon her soft skin. She continued to stoke him until it stopped. With his head tilted backwards he stared at the ceiling. His legs trembled, he looked in front of him at April, glistening, looking bashful at the mess on her front.

 

“A-are you-?” He sat forward putting his hand on her cheek looking into her eyes.

 

“That was _awesome.”_ She breathed.

 

“Yea!” Casey agreed.

 

“You promise you’ve never done that with anyone else?” She looked at him from under her eyebrows.

 

“That last part? No. I’ve never done that with anyone other than you. And I wasn’t kidding about the rest of it being lame with everyone else. It always felt kind of hollow…Now I know why.” He stood up. “Uh…Let me find you a towel…”

 

“Why don’t we just get in the shower?” She asked sweetly.

 

“Both of us?”

 

She nodded.

 

Casey smiled. “I’ve never done _that_ before either.”

 


	15. Bragging rights

They walked down the street, hair wet from their shower, evaporating off them in the summer heat.

 

“I don’t want to go home yet.” April smiled skipping ahead. “We just stopped the biggest plot the purple dragons ever _had_!”

 

“And had one hell of a celebration!” He grinned catching up to her.

 

He took her into a bear hug and spun around. She giggled as he turned her to face him and kissed her. His kiss was full of love as usual. All she wanted to do was melt into that kiss for the next 10 minutes but they were interrupted by a ring on the T-phone.

 

“April? April where are you guys? We didn’t see you leave the warehouse! Did you get out ok?”

 

“Sorry Donnie!” She blushed smiling at Casey.

 

He held his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. “We’re fine Don! Better than ever!” He called loudly towards the phone.

 

April elbowed him trying to hold back her own laughter. “We’re coming to the lair! See you in a sec!” The call ended.

 

“To the lair then?” Casey asked.

 

“I told you I didn’t want to go home!” She spun in circles like a giddy little girl running down the street towards her friends sewer home.

 

“Ok” Casey said to himself following after her. “But something tells me they’re going to notice some things.” He grinned.

 


	16. Settlement between rivals

“Hi guys!” April jumped excitedly past the turnstiles. “Sorry it took so long! You got out ok right?”

 

“Yea…” Leo said as Casey came in behind her. “April? What are you wearing?”

 

“Huh?” She looked down at herself.

 

Her damp hair still hung loose at her shoulders. Her clothes had been covered in dirt and sweat from the fight. She was wearing one of his older grey t-shirts and a pair of baggy jeans.

 

“O-oh…” She pulled the sleeve of the large shirt back over her shoulder as it slipped. She had completely forgotten she was wearing his clothes. “My clothes were dirty, so we stopped by Casey’s place and he put my clothes in the wash…”

 

“Riiighhhttt….” Raph raised his eyebrow in disbelief.

 

Casey appeared behind his friend and smacked him over the head. This lead to Raphael punching him in the arm, then quickly devolved into a wrestling match on the common room floor.

 

“Well, if you want some better fitting clothes we have one of your Kuno Ichi jumpsuits in the dojo.” Leo motioned with his thumb.

 

“Thanks Leo.” April blushed following him.

 

“No problem. Hope you guys had fun.” He smiled at her as he closed the dojo door allowing her to change.

 

“L-leo? Don’t tell Donnie…He’s been so nice about this whole thing…I just don’t want to…”

 

“Tell him what?” He winked as the door snapped shut.

 

She smiled and changed out of Casey’s clothes. Being fully alone she felt comfortable enough to inhale his scent off the shirt. It was comforting to smell the cheap detergent and unique scent of the boy she just couldn’t seem to get enough of lately. She smiled at her own girlish emotions and carefully folded the clothes to give back to Casey. Clad in her black and yellow suit (which she hadn’t worn since the final war with shredder) she exited the dojo to see 3 turtles and her boyfriend playing video games on the floor.

 

“Wheres Donnie?” She asked noticing his absence.

 

“Pizza run.” Raph said unable to turn his eyes away from the screen as he smashed at the controller.

 

“Isn’t that usually Mikey’s job?”

 

“He was kind of freaking out that you two hadn’t come back yet so we gave him something to do.” Leo turned from the screen to look at her politely then promptly died as a result.

 

“Oh no, now I feel bad…” She scratched the back of her head. “We should have called you guys and told you we were safe…”

 

“Don’t sweat it. I saw you two run out around the building before we went down the sewer.” Mikey stuck his tongue out turning his whole body with his controller. “Donnie just gets nervous, plus we all know you two were smoochin’ so that just makes him _more_ nervous.”

 

Raphael smacked Mikey over the head for his insensitivity as Aprils face fell.

 

“Don’t worry April.” Leo smiled at her. “You know Donnie is just like that. He just wants to know you’re safe.”

 

“Yea, but now I feel like a bad friend…”

 

“April!” Donnie entered the lair carrying a stack of Pizza.

 

His surprise at seeing her caused him to toss them into the air. Luckily Mikey’s pizza reflexes were good enough to save them before they hit the ground.

 

“I was worried the cops had arrested you!” He hugged her with a relived smile.

 

“Nope, we just took the long way I guess…”

 

“New clothes?” Donnie asked.

 

“H-her clothes were dirty from the fight and coming through the sewer so we got out her Kuno ichi outfit.” Leo covered for her quickly.

 

“I always liked that outfit better on you anyway.” Donnie smiled.

 

He looked up to see Casey, standing arms crossed behind her with an annoyed look on his face. Donatello saw his discontent and only grinned at him. Satisfied that Donnie had been appeased April was happy to join the boys playing video games. Casey, however, watched Donatello walk into his lab and followed.

 

“Whats the deal Donnie?” Casey leaned cooly against the door frame, a grudge in his eyes. “I thought you were done with April. Whats with all the over the top concern?”

 

“Is Casey Jones jealous?” Donnie smiled as he pretended to check on various technical experiments. “Of _me?_ I’m surprised. I was sure the great vigilante wouldn’t have a hard time hanging on to his girl.”

 

“Listen nerd!” Casey slammed his hand on the table.

 

Surprised at how quickly Casey had made his way over to him Donatello reacted, momentarily, with genuine fear.

 

“For a long time you and I have been rivals when it came to the subject of April. But she’s _mine_ now! So back off!”

 

“She’s not _yours_ Casey!” Donnie shoved him away. “She’s her own person! And you’re lucky as _hell_ that she chose a loggerhead like you! And by the way, I don’t think I’ve threatened you for that yet!”

 

“What was that?!?” The two were face to face, tempers flaring.

 

“If you hurt her, you will see that I’m much more than a nerd.”

 

“Oh yea?” Casey inflated his chest stepping as far forward as he could without touching Donatello. “And what would that be?”

 

“I’m a ninja.”

 

In seconds Casey found himself on the ground with Donnies staff at his throat. Casey kicked out his legs trying to take Donnies out from underneath him but to no avail. The turtle was in the air, staff spinning above his head as he jumped backwards, landing so lightly on his feet you’d think he was weightless.Casey lumbered to a standing position. He often forgot that Donatello was a more skilled fighter than he was. But in that immediate moment the only thing going through Casey’s mind was that smug look as his rival hugged the girl he loved.

 

Casey charged forward again, he had removed most of his gear and was left only with his closed fist to attack. Donnie easily dogged. Punching wildly he missed every shot. The turtle could see in his opponents eyes that he had lost himself to rage. But their fight had been long over due. He delivered some simple blows to prove his dominance but never anything that would really harm him. After a few more maneuvers his intelligence grew bored of the one sided fight. He kicked Casey in the solar plexus sending him backwards on to a table, nuts and bolts chiming lightly on the ground as they fell from the surface.

 

With pressure from his palm and a quick twist of his wrist Donnies bo staff became a naginata as the retractable blade appeared at the end. He leapt forward holding his weapon close to the blade like a knife. The metal threatened Casey’s neck, forcing him to breathe and calm some of his anger.

 

“April has meant the world to me for a long time.” Donatello said with quiet honesty. “You came along…and I realized that you really made her happy. I don’t know why. I don’t think with a hundred years to do that math I would ever be able to figure out what she sees in you, but she cares about you Casey. So don’t waste it. Be good to her and don’t make me beat you again.” He released him for a moment taking a step back.

 

Casey sat up off the table and looked into his friends eyes. After a good long stare Donnie noticed a twitch of his shoulder as he swung the bandana tied to a padlock out of his back pocket right at his head. Donnie stumbled and fell backwards onto his rear as the metal made contact with his temple. He sat wide eyed, mostly at the realization that the ‘padlock-o-doom’ could have easily killed him but also after realizing that he had swung it at the length of the staff taking off the lethal momentum. He had merely been tapped with the crude weapon.

 

It was at that moment that donnie realized, all the skill and intelligence in the world wouldn’t protect him from a guerrilla attack. Casey tended to specialize in those. No one had taught him, it was just instinct. If he fought him ten times he would win nine, but Casey only needed one. All the same, though Casey had proven that under the right circumstances he could best even one of his highly trained ninja friends, he had chose to inflict little to no damage.

 

“Maybe thats what she sees in him…” Donatello thought out loud without meaning to.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing…” Donnie looked away trying to hide his defeated expression.

 

Casey offered him his hand.

 

“Look, Don, I know I can be…impulsive with my emotions. April has been trying to be subtle around you, and I can appreciate that…”

 

“I suppose I should extend you the same courtesy…”

 

Casey sighed heavily. “Ultimately you shouldn’t have to. I should be secure enough in my relationship with her that it shouldn’t matter…But I can’t help myself….I love her… And I know I don’t entirely deserve her.”

 

“I…I think thats what I needed to hear.” Donnie looked his opponent in the eye. “Casey, for all your bravado and bragging I guess I just want you to know how lucky you are to have her in your life. Don’t take her for granted.”

 

“Are you kidding? I’m still waiting to wake up.”

 

Donatello extended his hand respectfully. Casey took it and gripped it in a tight handshake,

 

“I’ve got my eye on you Jones.”

 

Casey smiled. “Come on, lets get back before she gets suspicious. She’s probably smarter than both of us combined.”

 

“In all the worst ways!”

 


	17. End of the Begining

“So what did you and Donnie have to talk about?” April asked as Casey walked her home later that night. “Not fighting I hope…”

 

“Define _fighting_ ”

 

“Casey…” She said threateningly.

 

“Don’t sweat it Red! Everything is fine. Had to happen anyway. Now that I’ve been outed as your boyfriend I think it was important for each of the turtles to threaten me in their own way.”

 

“They threatened you?”

 

“Well, Raph gave me a nice little bruise in the hospital for _taking her from Donnie_ and then congratulated me…but, then he hit me again in the same spot and told me if I break your heart the next time he hit me there I’d need pins in my arm…”

 

“Ok, but thats just Raph.”

 

“When I was changing in the water park Leo was not so subtle talking about ‘what he’d do’ to anyone that hurt his friends. He went in to some pretty intense detail too. Did you know that the Japanese used to boil people alive?”

 

“Leo threatened to boil you alive?”

 

“He said he’d boil _anyone who hurt April_ alive…”

 

“Wow…Well its hard to believe you’d get anything like that from Mikey.”

 

“He told me that if things went wrong I should expect every pizza I eat from that moment on in my life to taste like a stale fart.”

 

“I guess it’s not hard to believe. But Donnie-“

 

“Donnie wasn’t so bad. We just threw each other around his lab for a couple minutes and then we were good. He nearly decapitated me though.”

 

April raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“Don’t worry, I got him back with my padlock.” He patted his back pocket.

 

“That’s really _not_ what worries me about that…” She sounded genuinely upset for a moment.

 

“Hey.” He stopped her out front of her building. “Those mutants love you. They’d do anything for you. And not that they needed to say any of that to me but I honestly would be more afraid for myself if they _didn’t._ I feel like them saying nothing would mean they didn’t approve.”

 

“So you see your friends threatening you as a good thing?”

 

“I see _your_ friends threatening me as a good thing.” He flashed her a toothless grin.

 

She smiled stepping in to him and taking him around the midsection in an increasingly tight hug. He responded by wrapping his arms around her back then taking a step back to look her in the eyes.

 

“Night Red.” He pecked a sweet kiss on her lips. “I’ll get you to say you love me some day.”

 

“Don’t hold your breath Jones.”

 

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and then turned to leave. Once he was a few steps away she ran after him and spun him around pulling him down into a kiss.

 

“Goodnight Casey.”

 

He stood in the light of the streetlamps watching after her as she ran up the steps and in to her building. He watched the light come on in her bedroom window before he turned back to the New York skyline. The sun was barely beginning to rise behind the buildings as Casey Jones smiled all the way home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be more of these two. To be continued!!!


End file.
